5 arrested in bogus tickets case

Sandesh Prabudesai

The Goa Police on Tuesday arrested Goa Cricket Association treasurer Rama Shankar Das and four others for alleged forgery and cheating even as the investigation into the scandal relating to the sale of 'duplicate' tickets for the fifth and final One-Day International between India and Australia, on April 6, at Goa, continues.

Superintendent of Police (South Goa) I D Shukla said the five persons, including Das, a ticket contractor, Chinmay Fallari, and an 'associate', Jayaraman, hailing from Tamil Nadu -- were arrested on Monday night.

"Till now we have found that over 24,000 bogus tickets, worth Rs 8.5 to 9 million were sold," said Shukla, who is heading the investigation.

Though Das is known to be a close aide of opposition MLA and Goa Cricket Association president Dayanand Narvekar, the latter has declined to shoulder responsibility for the racket. Instead, he said the managing committee would shortly decide the fate of its office-bearers, if they are found guilty.

"I am very happy that the scandal has broken and we will fully co-operate with the investigations," stated Narvekar.

The police last night found counterfoils of tickets, a floppy and Rs 60,000 when they raided the residence of Das. It came to light that the GCA had circulated and sold around 4,000 extra tickets.

The police said 750 such tickets of Rs 750 each were printed by a computer expert and sold as special passes.

Narvekar, however, claims that he is aware of only 1,100 special passes which were printed in Panaji at the last minute, to distribute among Ranji Trophy players and some VVIPs after the GCA found some vacant slots in the stadium.

"The GCA never authorised anybody to print bogus tickets," he said.

According to him, GCA secretary Vinod Phadke was given the responsibility of printing and handing over the tickets.

"I am not aware whether he sought the help of Shankar Das," he said.

Though the police did not find any evidence at Phadke's residence, Shukla confirmed that they are still interrogating other GCA office-bearers to fix the responsibility of printing the tickets.

Meanwhile, the police have still not decided whether to summon Narvekar or hold him also responsible for the crime.

"We cannot hold the whole organisation responsible for it," clarified Shukla.

Ticket contractor Fallari, it is learnt, has confessed having printed 3,000 bogus tickets of Rs 500 each, 1,000 each of Rs 750 and Rs 500 each and as well as 15,000 tickets of Rs 200 each, at Sivkasi in Tamil Nadu, amounting about Rs 6.5 million.

The police also arrested Jayrajan Ramaswamy, the printer, as well as Fallari's brother Devdatt, who arranged to get the tickets printed, and Gangaram Bhise, who sold some of the duplicate tickets.

During raids at their respective residences and hotel rooms, a list of unauthorised ticket agents, a number of genuine and bogus tickets as well as few pieces of burnt bogus tickets were found.

While around 70 persons have been interrogated, the police are still gathering evidence.